Superintendent Newsletter May

SPRING 2015 theSuperintendent Newsletter May Edition Communication is Key! Happy Spring!Worcester Public Schools’ 25,000 students have been busy This year, Worcester Publiclearning and becoming productive, contributing citizens in School students,our community. In addition to meeting with students, administration, teachers,parents, teachers, and community members, and staff are happier forSuperintendent Dr. Melinda Boone continues to Spring more than evermark the progress of each of our forty-four before! That’s becauseschools as you will see in some of her recent Worcester made nationalvisits with students at schools throughout headlines as the country’sthe district. Snowiest City! The school district had nine snow days, which brings the last day of school to June 25. Dr. Melinda Boone was interviewed by The Weather Channel about our unprecedented winter weather. Maybe we can make news as Nicest Weather City for spring? One can only hope!In This Issue Library Week Celtics Visit May St. SchoolFinancial StudentsLiteracy celebrated Nat’l Celtics Forward Library Week and Kelly OlynykState Treasurer Goddard Branch taught students tovisited Worcester Anniversary. reduce, reuse, andTechnical High recycle.School.

Dr. Greg Wolfus, left, director of the veterinary clinic at SPRING 2015Worcester Technical High School, gives a tour of the clinic to Worcester Tech Teens FocusPrincipal Kyle Brenner, Worcester Superintendent of On Financial LiteracySchools Melinda Boone and State Treasurer DeborahGoldberg, right. On Monday, March 16, Dr. Melinda Boone, along with Acting Principal Kyle Brenner, welcomed State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg to Worcester Technical High School. The visit highlighted a three-year Gateway City Grant for financial literacy instruction awarded to the school by the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Financial Literacy Pilot Program to develop innovative financial programs. Ms. Goldberg spoke with students about navigating financial aid services for college and the importance of saving money for the future. She also toured the school’s veterinary lab, the culinary kitchen, and student-run credit union.State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg visits WorcesterTechnical High School on Monday, talking to sophmoreallied health students Karen Akuffo and Dakota Cayer, andpainting and design student Alice Frimpong, left to right. Happy Birthday Goddard Branch Library! The Goddard Branch Library Celebrates One-Year AnniversaryIn celebration of National Library Week (April 12-18), Dr.Boone read to children at the Worcester Public Library. TheGoddard Branch also celebrated its One-Year Anniversarythe week before on Wednesday, April 8th. The WorcesterPublic Library’s Goddard Branch is part of the One CityOne Library Initiative, which includes locations atTatnuck Magnet School, Roosevelt School, Goddard Schoolof Science & Technology, and a fourth branch will open soonat the Burncoat Preparatory School. The Goddard Branchwas funded as part of a $100,000 grant from HanoverInsurance Group Foundation with the help of several localorganizations. 2

SPRING 2015 Boston Celtics at May Street SchoolDr. Boone wore her green on Monday, April13! That’s because the Boston Celtics andJN Phillips Auto Glass teamed together topromote an educational program engagingstudents from May Street School inWorcester in activities to promoteenvironmental responsibility through theGreenshield Education program teaching theimportance of – reduce, reuse, recycle. Volunteersread an environmentally friendly book to eachelementary classroom and then hosted a recyclingassembly with all the students in an effort toeducate youth on how to maintain a green Earth.Students were also treated to a Celtics game inBoston! Boston Celtics Forward Kelly Olynyk andBoston Celtics Assistant Coach Walter McCartywere featured guests.3

SPRING 2015Making Good Decisions at Woodland AcademyThe United States Attorney’s Office, in partnership with Worcester Public Wednesday, Woodland AcademySchools, the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office and the April 15, 2015Worcester Police Department, conducted a youth violence preventionevent on Wednesday, April 15, 2015 for 110 fifth and sixth-grade students 8:15 am toat Woodland Academy in Worcester. 11:00 amThe “Your Future, Your Decision” program has been presented by the U.S. GradesAttorney’s Office to over 2,700 middle school students around the state, 5 and 6combining an emphasis on the importance of good decision-making skillswith a resource fair featuring after-school and summer activities. Your Future, Your DecisionSpeakers representing the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District Attorney’sOffice, Worcester Public Schools and Police Department told the students Do you think that the decisions you make when you’re a young person won’tabout the choices they made along the way that kept them on a positive affect the rest of your life? Think again! In these presentations, you’ll seepath in their lives. Worcester native Jeffrey Lassey also made a powerful how the choices you make now can have long-term consequences—positivepresentation to the young people about poor decisions that he made as a AND negative!young person and the consequences he faced, including prison time.Topics that were spotlighted included involvement with gang activity, RESOURCE FAIR UNITED STATES ATTORNEY CARMEN ORTIZguns, drugs, bullying, and the legal and social consequences that can U.S. Attorney Ortiz was appointed by President Obama. She is theimpact the students’ futures, particularly affecting their ability to get jobs, Visit representatives first Hispanic and the first female United States Attorney inhousing and admission to college. from summer Massachusetts history. Her family moved here from Puerto Rico, and programs and after- she grew up in the Spanish Harlem section of New York City. Find out school activities! about the choices she made that brought her to the position of top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts. Brought to you by Woodland Academy, in partnership FROM OUR COMMUNITY with: Hear the story of a local man who took the wrong path as a young person, and paid the price—but then took advantage of all the Worcester County resources that were offered to him, and turned his life around. District Attorney’s Office WORCESTER COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE Worcester Police District Attorney Joseph Early, Jr. will talk about the importance of Department making positive decisions, even at a young age, choosing the right Worcester Public activities, and spending your time with people who will have a positive Schools impact on your life. United States Attorney’s Office DON’T MISS IT!According to Woodland Academy Principal Patricia Padilla, “Woodland Academy students were very fortunate totake part in the ‘Your Future, Your Decision’ program. Having the opportunity to hear powerful messages aboutmaking positive choices, has equipped them with the strategies needed when faced with challenging situationsthroughout their lives.”Following the speaker presentations, the students visited a resource fair in the school’s gymnasium offeringinformation on after-school and summer programs. A resource guide, developed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office andproduced by Worcester Public Schools, was also provided to students. The guide provides information aboutactivities and programs in the City of Worcester.United Way of Central Massachusetts Making a DifferenceUnited Way of Central Massachusetts hosted their Annual Business Meeting L to R: Chantell McDowell (Worc. Publicand Celebration on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 at Mechanics Hall. The theme of Library Youth Services Director); Christinethe celebration was “Making a Difference.” Murray (Worc. Library Foundation Executive Director); Patty Eppinger  (One City OneThis year UW created the Ted Coghlin Community Citizen of the Year Award Library Chair); James Leary (United Wayto recognize an organization or individual that demonstrates extraordinary Chair); Tim Garvin (United Way); Dr. Melindacommitment to connecting people and resources to improve lives and celebrate Boonethe importance of giving back to the community, especially for children. Thisyear the Ted Coghlin Award recognized One City One Library – thecollaborative effort that has placed branches of the Worcester Public Libraryinto our Worcester Public Schools (Roosevelt, Tatnuck, and Goddard) andplaced Libby and Lilly on our streets.In the first year of this effort – more than 100,000 new books – additionalbooks – were checked out by our children! 4

Jennifer Roy, Communications/TV Production, [email protected] SPRING 2015 MassGrad ShowcaseOn Wednesday, May 6, Dr. Melinda Boone joinededucation leaders across the state to discuss thestate’s graduation rates at the MassGrad Showcaseat the DoubleTree in Leominster.MassGrad is a federally funded grant project fromthe U.S. Department of Education aimed at highschool dropout prevention, intervention andrecovery. Awarded to the state in 2010, it focuses on the 133high schools throughout the Commonwealth that exceededthe statewide annual dropout rate of 2.9 percent in the 2008-09 school year.The MassGrad Showcase highlighted the great work acrossthe Commonwealth over the last five years to dramaticallydecrease dropout rates and increase graduation rates. InMassachusetts, the annual dropout number has beenreduced by over 3,700 students compared to 5 years ago.Also, the number of students graduating has increased bynearly 4% points over the last 5 years.The day featured student speakers, a school and districtleadership panel, and promising practice breakouts on awide variety of strategies. Among the topics presented were grade 8/9 transition approaches,alternative pathways, graduation coaches, credit recovery, community partnerships, and dropoutre-engagement, as well as lessons from district leaders about how to move dropout preventionand re-engagement into the heart of “how we do school.” Tammy Boyle, North High School,served on a community partnership panel, and Quadrant Manager Delores Gribouski, and RobinVartanian and Juliamy Saraiva from North High School, presented a panel about 9th gradetransition programs.Massachusetts will receive up to $15 million until September 2015 through the MassGradproject. CultureLEAP L to R: Hank Stolz, Dr. Melinda Boone, James Moran Charter TV 3’s The Hank Stolz from the Hank Stolz Experience interviewed Dr. Melinda Boone and James Moran,Executive Director of Outreach for the Antiquarian Society on Monday,May 18, about CultureLEAP (Learning through Education and ArtsPartnerships). CultureLEAPis an initiative between the Worcester CulturalCoalition, and the Worcester Education Development Foundation, Inc.(WEDF), working with Worcester Public Schools to provide students withan opportunity to learn outside the classroom at the city’s finest museumsand theatres. More than ten thousand students will be participating in theprograms. The segment aired May 18 and May 19 on Charter TV 3.5